Hosiery drying and finishing structure



E. E. RANDALL HOSIBRYDRYING AND FINISHING STRUCTURE May 25 1926 Filed March 24 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 25 1926. 1,586,332 9 E. E. RANDALL HOSIERY DRYING AND FINISHING STRUCTURE Filed March.24, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Qwventoz 547/30 5. Panda May 25 1926. v I Y 1,586,329

E. E. RANDALL HOSIERY DRYING AND FINISHING STRUCTURE Filed March 24 1.924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 gwugnloz 0730/7 E Fonda/L May 25 1926. 1,586,329

E. E. RANDALL HOSIERY DRYING AND FINISHING STRUCTURE Filed March 24, 3.924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 1926 i uNrrs I EDISON E.

smrss 1,586,329 arent series RANDALL, or KA'NKAKEE; ILLINOIS, AssIeNoR r0 rorn MACHINE cola- PANY, or CHICAGO, ItL'INoI's, A ooRPoRAT'IoNon ILLINOIS.

HOSIEBY DRYING AND FiNI'sIiING STRUCTURE.

Application filed Mareh;24,' 1924. Seria1 No. 701,564.'

ency to shrink when heat is imparted to its fabric to dry it, would creep up on the form and by reason of such siirinhage be undesirably shortened.

The object, therefore, of the. present; invention is to provide a hosiery-holding structure adapted to be associated with a hosiery-drying form and to be effective, likewise, to prevent, or at least reduce to a minimum, the up ard creeping of a hosieryarticle while being dried upon a metallic drying storm of the general'type, for instance, disclosed in United States Patent No; 1,207,49 to VJ. D. Butz. t

it is within the conten'iplation of my in vcntive-concept to provide-a hosiery-hollow structure comprising, in general, an expansible member or element suitably maintained in relation to the drying surfaces of the form and displaceable in respect to those surfaces during the operation of boarding? the hosiery-article on the form and whichjelement is readily restored tornormal, active position without much if any effort onthe part of the operator. v

In the drying and finishing of hosier under present-day practice and wherein IE5 heated metal forms are very generally employed, it has been found that when a wet orvdamp piece of hosiery is placed upon the.

form the heat thereof develops a normal tendency in the hosiery to shrink very rapidly and thus to creep on the forinand its length be thereby materially changed, Various means and devices have beenproposed to hold the hosiery during the boarding operation and to prevent such shrink 4.5 age; but in, most of these instances the means and devices have been more or less un'satis factory because they either fail to function efficiently or else are unsatisfactory because i they engage the fabric of thehosiery firmly enough, they mark or deface the same and lender it nnniarhetablc. As the result of lUDg-COYllllHlQtlCXPBTllHGDtS and tests. I have developed the subject-matter of'the pre ent cas and inthis connection I may state that my inventive concept is predicatthereby ed upon the discovery that if an expansible element is utilized for engaging the hosiery and holding it against the surfaces of the form, the results are eminently satisfactory while, atthe same time, the operation of the device is a most automatic and requires little or no actuation by the operator, usually called a boarder. l I I Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention resides-in the structures hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; though in thisconnect-ionI wish it to be understood'that the particular embodiments herein revealed are merely illustrative, that the invention is susceptible of other embodiments,- and that the several embodiments are susceptible of a wide range of n'iodification and variation without departingfrom the salient features and underlying principles of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a hosiery-drying form equipped with one type of hosieryhoder structure constructed in accordance with my invention i Fig. 2 is a viewin horizontal section, on the line 2-2,Fig. 1; I i

Fig, 3 is a similar view on line 3 3', 3; l; I a

Fig. at is a fragmentary viewshowing the expansible member in its normal hosieryeng agm g position; g I

lug. o is asnnilar view showing the'expansible member displaced from no mal position and out of engagement with an article ot hosiery i Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of a modis fication thereof, and involving the utilization of a pluraiityof expansible members;

Fig. 7 1s a. similar VIGW, also of a modification, showing the expansible member provided with means for restricting its expansh bility; U

Figz, 8 is a view similar to Fig. l'oit a somewhat differ-cut embodiment'of the invention, involving the provision of a pivthe line 9-9, Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view, showing the parts in the position which they assume when the expansible member is out of its normal hosiery-engaging position;

F 11 is a fragmentary view of a modificat-ion of the type of structure shown in Figs. 1 to 7 but embodying a feature which characterizes the embodiment of Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view, in detail, of certain of the parts shown in these structures;

Fig. 13 is a View, in front elevation, of appartus which includes a seies of forms each having associated therewith the type of expansible member and the controlling device therefor shown in Figs. 8 to 10, together with mechanism for simultaneously actuating a plurality of the controlling de vices;

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary view, in section elevation thereof; and

Fig. 15 is a view in horizontal section, on the line 1515, Fig. 13.

In these drawings, the referencecharacter 1 designates a hosiery-drying form, of the general type disclosed in the aforemen tioned Patent No. 1,2073%, and which includes a base-portion 2 which is adapted to be secured to a pipe (not shown) for supplying a heating-medium to the form, the latter also including a leg-portion and a foot-portion 4; and 5, respectively.

' Integral with or otherwise attached to the form is a bracket 5 shown, in this instance,

' as comprising two members 6 secured at opposite ends by bolts 7. On the bracket is a base-member 8, preferably and as shown of lineal dimensions greater than the width- Wise dimensions of the form 1. Upstanding from the base 8 are element-supporting members or posts 9 which are arranged, in this particular instance, adjacent to but spaced from the edges 10 ofthe form. These upstanding members are, preferably and as shown, inclined to the vertical, and they occupy a position parallel to the edges 10 of the form. The upper extremities of the carrying-elements are out-turned to provide limit-stops 11, or other element-limiting means may be provided.

Suspended between the supporting-memhere 9 and movable thereon is an expansible-element or member 12 which, in this instance, is an elongated, endless, spiral spring, of proper tension and dimensions to perform its required function. The construction and arrangement of this element 12 on its support-as provided by the members 9-are such as to effect a rolling morement of the element as it moves upwardly and downwardly on the form. Moreover, the nature of engagement of the element with the hosiery-article is such that the element may be moved circumferentially of the form when the boarder shifts the article 0n the form in the operation of lining up the wales of the article with the vertical edges of the form, this insuring a better finish to the article. Furthermore, by reason of the open character of the expansible memberdue to its spring form and being spirally wound it presents a limited though effectual contact with the hosiery and, thus, permits the heat of the form to effect its drying function; at the same time permitting the hosiery to ventilate itself, so to speak. The normal position of this expansible-element 12 is adjacent the limit-stops 11 on the supporting-members; and, then, the greater portion of it is in engagement With the two sides 13 of the form, its resilient character permitting it to assume an arcuate contour to conform to the curved sides of the drying-form. Thus, the hosiery-article 14 on the form will be engaged by the eXpansible-element practically throughout its widthwise area between its edges as defined by the edges 10 of the form. In operation, the boarder (in placing the hosiery-article on the form) will stretch the same downwardly and in the direction of the base of the form and, as her hands in thus placing the hosiery-article on the form, come into contact with the expansible-member 12, she will displace the same from the aforementioned normal position and, if necessary, to a position below the extreme lower edge of the hosiery-article. As soon as the boarder removes her hand from the form and, thus, out of contact with the ho siery-article, the expansible-member 12 will quickly returnby a rolling actionto its upper normal position and engage the fabric of the hosiery and thereby effect an action thereof such that creeping of the hosiery is prevented or at least reduced to a minimum. It will be understood that the inclined arrangement of the supports 2) contributes to the automatic return of the expansible-member to its aforementioned normal position. The character of the expansible-member is such as to produce a uniformly firm holding action and, at the same time, produce no marking or defacing of the fabric, or contribute at all to the wrinkling of the fabric as it tends to creep during the drying-operation. Besides, the extended contacting surface of the espansible-menn her with the fabric effectually holds it almost entirely throughout its widthwise dimension and this is desirable toward effecting the best results.

From this description, it will be evident that I have provided a type of hosiery-holder which engages the hosiery-article practically throughout its width and effectually holds it against creeping and, thus, from shrinkage or wrinkling. At the same time, the action of the expansible-inember is antomatic, both for its displacement and for its restoration to normal positiomso that element 25 toward the base .8 as effected by the operator is in no way called upon to manipulate the holder noris her manipulation of the hosiery, in straightening the same on the form, at all interfered with by the presence of the holder.

If it is found that one expansible-member is insufficient to hold the hosiery on the form in any particular instance or by reason of the character of the fabric in the hosiery,

an additional eXpansible-member may be provided, as shown in Fig. 6, and which may be mounted on the supporting-members, and its movement thereon and action in connection with the fabric willbe the same as already explainedin reference to the other eXpansible-element 12.

If it be desired to restrict the, expansibility of either or both of the eXpansible-e-lements 12 and 15 (according to which type is used), means may be associated therewith for thatpurpose, andin this instance I have shown annular members, in the form of rings 16, encompassing. the portions of the expansible-members between the supportingmembers 9 and the edges 10 of the form.-

These rings, when not in use, may be moved onto the supportingmelnbers and rest at their bases, all as shown in Fig. 7

In Fig. 8, I have disclosed a somewhat different type of structure, but one clearly within the principles of myinvention. In

this instance, there extends upwardly from' the base 8 a pair of posts or supportingmembers 17 and 18, both of which have outturned extremities 19. The supportingmember or post 17 is stationary on the base 8, whereas the other member 18 is pivoted to a fulcrum-piece 20 upstanding from the base 8 to permit the member 18 to be swung away from the edge of the form. This member 18 is provided with an extension 21 to which is secured an expansible spring 22 having. a normal tendency to swing the memher on its fulcrum and thereby move its upper end outwardly and'away from the form.

At opposite sides of the supporting-111cm bers or posts 17 and 18 are two edgepieces 28 which diverge downwardly. The edgepieces on the stationary members 17 are bent inwardly and are attached to the member itself. Outstanding from this member, and in approximate alinement with the edge 10 of the form, is a limit-stop 23; The edgepieces on the supporting-member or post 18 terminate in T-pieces 24, the inner extreme ties of which are attached to the post, while the outstanding sections constitute limit-i stops.

Suspended bet-ween and slidable on the supporting-niembers or posts 17 and'18 is an expansible-member 25 corresponding to the expansible or spring member 12 in the firstdescribed embodiment. In this instance, however, the downward displacingof the able cause it to be held in such position.

the operator when pulling the stocking down on the form to stretch it thereon causesthis element to engage the edge pieces and be expanded laterally so as to displace its engagingportions away from the form. This displacing movement of the expansiblemember will, when it engages the T stops, on the supporting-posts 18, the spring 22 to function this member on its fulcrum rock formyand to a slightly overthrown position ind'icated by dotted lines'in Fig. 8-there being sufiicient clearance between the upper end 20 ofthe fulcrum-piece 20 and the top of the slot 21 in the pivot-portion of the element 21 topermit such overthrow of the member 18 and against the reactive influence of the spring 22 which, then, has a nor mal tendency to swing themember back in the opposite direction and, thus, againstthe slight pullofthe expansible member which, while the member is in its overthrown position, will slide upwardly on the members 17 and 18 and, thus, automatically becaused to resume its upper, normal position and in engagementwith the stops 19. It is to be understood that the tension of the expansible member is not such as to interfere with the action of the spring 22 actuating the member18, as just explained. Moreover,

mal positionto permit the en'pansible member to slide up on it in the-manner set forth;

From the foregoing description of this second embodiment, it will be understood that when the operator pulls the stocking down toward her and manipulates the top toward the base of the form, she, by reason of the engagement of her handswith the expansible-inember 25, moves the same downwardly and against the limit-stopson 'the'posts, and by this action positions the eXpansible-element to permit the spring 22 to rock the supporting member 18 on itsfulcrum and into the position shown in Fig. 10. At the same time, the element 25 will be expanded transversely by the edge-pieces 28 so that it will be entirely disengaged from the form. Then, when the operator manually actuates the member 18 to move it back toward the edge of the form and somewhat beyond normal position and, thus, at an angle to the plane of the opposite member 17, as already described, the expansible-member 25 will slide upwardly on both members 17 and 18 and resume its normal position and engage the hosiery and hold it until displaced therefrom by the operator.

In Fig. S I have shown the type of structure of the embodimentof Figs. 1' to 7 as this member is manually moved t'oward norprovided with element-Spreaders 27 similar to those on the supporting-posts 17 and 18 01' the embodiment of Fig. 8, these contributing to support the eXpansible-elemcnt 12 and thereby disengage it from contact with the form. r

In Figs. 13 to 15, I have illustrated a somewhat diii'erent embodiment of the invention, this involving primarily the provision of mechanism in association with a series of the forms whereby a plurality of the member-controlling devices o't the general type in this instanc shown in Figs. 8 to 10may be simultaneously actuated. This mechanism includes a rod-guiding element 29 on the base-portion of each form 1. This element is provided with a recess 30 in which an actuating bar 31 is slidingly supported. The bar is elongated and of a length to correspond to the pair of forms mounted on the table T. It will be understood that when the lever 33 is actuated toward the right, as viewed in 13each angle piece 32 will engage the adjacent e tension 21 of the member 18 and actuate this member on its fulcrum, on the fulcrum piece 20, and into the tilted position shown in Fig. 10, for instance. Vv hile the member 18 is thus moving into its tilted position, the spring 22 effects a pull on the extension 21 to facilitate movement of the member; and while this is occurring, each 'expansible member 25 is at first expanded to the extent that the member is tilted, whereupon it slides down on the members 17 and 18 to a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 10. It then is still in a stretched condition so that, when the m mber 18 is manually moved toward the form and to a position slightly angular to the vertical, the expansible member will slide up on the memhers 17 and 18 into a position, corresponding to that shown In Fig. 8.

Means are thus provided for actu ating through the lever 38a plurality of the member-controlling devices 18, so that the several expansible members 25 may be simultaneously rocked on their fulcra and to a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 10. When the operator shall have placed hosiery on the several forms 1, he can manually restore each member 18 to its normal vertical position and thereby effect a re-positioning of the fiexiole member 25 to produce an engagement between it and the cry-holder structure including a )ZISG, a pair of oppositely-disposed su .bers upstanding therefrom and independent of each other, an annular, erpansible clement movably sustained by and stretched between the members so that the portions thercbetween have a normal tendency to assume a parallel tormengagement relation, and a hosiery drying instrumentality projecting through and engaged by the element.

3. A hosiery-holder structure including a hosiery finishing instrumentality, a stationary base associated therewith, an annular circumterentially-expansiblc element operatively associated with the base and instrumentality, and a plurality of supportingmembers upstanding from the base and cod from the instrumentality and projecting through the element and spaced apart on the base to eilect a stretching of the element and a consequent normal tendency of aortions thereof to assume a substantially parallel relation to each other.

A hosiery-holder structure including a supporting-device comprising a bracket and sustaining-members upstanding therefrom, in combination with an expansible element stretched between the members and movable thereon, and a form projecting through the element and cngageable thereby.

5. A hosiery-nolder structure including a supporting-device comprising a bracket and sustaining-members upstanding therefrom, a combination with an expansible element s retched between the members and bodily rollable thereon, and a form projecting through the element and engageahle thereby.

6. A hosiery-holder structure including a supporting-device comprising a bracket and supporting-members upstanding therefrom, and an cxpansible hosiery-engaging element suspended between the members and rolla ble thereon in relation to the bracket.

7. A hosiery-holder structure including a supporting-device comprising a base and element-supporting members upstanding therefrom and having out-turned upper extremities, and a hosiery-engaging element suspended between and rollable on the members and engageable with the out-turned ends.

8. A hosiery-holder structure including a supporting-device comprising a base and element-s11pporting members upstanding therefrom, a hosiery-engaging element suspended on the members and bodily rollable thereon to any of a plurality of positions in relation to the base, the members carrying means for limiting the rolling movement of the element, and hosiery-drying form associated with and projecting through the element and engageable by it at any of a plurality of points thereon.

9. A hosiery-holder structure including a Stat supporting-device comprising a bracket and supporting-members upstanding therefrom and mchmng toward each other, a hosleryengaging element suspended between the members and bodily rollable thereon'to any of a pluralityof positions in relation tothe bracket, anda'hosiery finishing deviceupstanding betweenbut independent or the supporting members and engageable by the element whenin one,position on the supporting members, said element beingseparable from thedevice when in a different position. q

10. AIhosiery-holder structure including a supporting-device comprising a base andele- -ment-supporting members upstanding therefrom, and a.hosiery-engaging element suspended on the members and rollable thereon in relation to the base, the members carry ing means for limiting the rolling movement of the element and inclining from the vertical tooefiect expansion o'f'the'element as the same rolls thereon, i

11. A hosiery-holder structure includinga supporting device comprising affornr-attaching bracket, a'jbase carried bythe 'brac'ket, and relementrsupporting members upstanding 'from the base and inclining toward each other, and a hosiery-engaging element rollable on the members and expansible while rolling on the members.

12. A hosiery-holder structure including a supporting device comprising a form-attaching bracket, a base carried by the bracket, and element-supporting members upstanding from the base and inclining toward each other, and a hosiery-engaging element rollable on the members and expansible while rolling on the members, said members carrying means for restricting movement of the expansible element.

13. A hosiery-holder structure including a plurality of upstanding supporting-members, an expansible element suspended between the members, and means associated with the expansible-element for restricting 7 its expansibility.

14. A hosiery-holder structure lncludmg a supporting-device comprismg a bracket and supporting-members upstanding therefrom,-

an expansible hosiery-engaging element suspended between the members and rollable thereon in relation to the bracket, and a ring encompassing the eXpansible-element. 15. A hosiery-drying structure including a drying form, a bracket thereon having a base, element-supporting members upstanding therefrom and in angular arrangement with respect to the form, and an element movable and circumfenentially expansible on the members and engageable with surfaces of the form. v e 16. A hosiery-holder structure for drying forms including a base, element=supporting structures upstanding therefrom,

'onthebase, means associated with'tie'piw oted imem ber having a normal tendency to actuate it in relation to itscompanion member, and an expansible-elementmovable on the members "and operating during such movement to operate the pivoted member.

17,. A hosiery-holder -.structure for drying forms ineluding a base, element-supporting structures upstanding therefrom, one at leastoftthe members being-pivoted on the basejmeans associated with the "piv- 'ote'd member having a "normal tendency to oaetuat it in relation to its'companion member, an fe pansible-element movable on the members and operating during such movement to operate the pivote d'unember, and means 1 carried by "the pivoted member for restoring it to normal; positionand thereby cause "the "e pan'sible-element automatically tobe restored to normalposition.

.18. A hosiery-holder structure "for drying forms including a base, element-supporting members upstanding therefromiand ber, and an expansible hosiery-engaging element rollable on the members. I

19. A hosiery-holder structure for dry-' ing forms including a base, element-supporting members upstanding therefrom and one at least of the members'being pivoted on the base and carrying an extension, a spring attached to the extension and base and operating to actuate the pivoted member, an expansible hosiery-engaging element rollable on the members, and means as sociated with the members for effecting expansion of the element during such rolling movement. i

20. A hosiery-drying structure including. a drying form' in combination with a bracket thereon, a base associated with the bracket, element-supporting members up standing from the base and one at least of which is fulcrumed thereon for movement away from the form, means active on this member influencing its movement in relation to the form, an eXpansible-element rollable on the members and engageable with the form, and means on the members for effecting its expansion and separation from theform, a

21. A hosiery-holder structure including a plurality of upstanding supporting-members, and an expansible element mo-vably suspended between the members and flexible to permit its bodily movement on the supporting-members, whereby linin -up of the wales of an engaged hosiery artlcle may be bers, and an expansible element movably suspended between the members, said element being spirally wound and, thus, being of open character, whereby steam and the like from an engaged hosiery-article may penetrate the element.

p3. A hosiery-drying structure including av drying form in combination with a bracket thereon, a base associated with the bracket, element-supporting members upstanding from the base and one at least of which is fulcrumed thereon for movement away from the form, means active on this member for actuating it toward the form, an expansible-element 'rollable on the members and engageable with the form and operating during its rolling movement to actuate the movable member away from the form and spirally wound to present hosieryengaging instrumentalities of open character, and means on the members for effecting its expansion and separation from the form.

24:. A hosiery drying and shaping structure including a support, a series of drying forms on the support and each provided with a base, a bar-guiding element on each base, a bar slidably mounted in the several guiding members and common to each of the series of forms, a plurality of angle pieces on the bar one adjacent each form of the series, a pivoted hand-lever connected to the bar whereby a plurality of the pivoted members may be simultaneously actuated in relation to vthe several forms, and means associated with each pivoted member for influencing its action.

25. Hosiery drying and shaping apparatus including a support, a plurality of forms on the support and arranged in series, element-supporting members associated with each form and one of which members is pivoted, means associated with the pivoted member and operating to influence its movement in relation to its. companion member, an element movable and circumferentially expansible on the members, a member-actuating element common to the several pivoted members and engageable therewith to actuate them, and a hand-lever for operating the member-actuating element.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

EDISON E. RANDALL. 

